Link's crime
by Triton668
Summary: The central Gerudo stepped forward. She shoved the tip of her spear right before Michael’s face. “Now you listen here. I care very much for my people, as I am the assistant leader, Rasha. Nabooru is our patron. If you do anything to harm her, I will kill
1. Joanne

**Allright… I don't own the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters in it, but I do own Joanne and Michael, so I would greatly appreciate it if permission from me is sought before anyone using them (in the off chance that should happen, lol)…thank you. If this first chapter does not make sense to you, then you'll have to trust me that it will all come together eventually.**

Michael stared in awe at the large castle floating over the deep lava pit. The last time he laid eyes on it, it was surrounded by gardens, trees, and many guards. Now, there were only ruins of once fabulous stone sculptures and Hyrule Castle Road was no more than a rugged path. Dark clouds shrouded the sky above the castle. The middle-aged man wore blue jeans and a white sleeveless shirt beneath an unbuttoned black denim jacket. Very faint traces of facial hair around his chin contrasted against his pallid skin. A strong breeze tossed about Michael's shoulder length wavy black hair. In front of him were two large stone pillars; the remains of a gate. "Well, I can't say that I like what Ganondorf has done with the place," he mused. Looking around him, he saw nothing but large boulders and pieces of the old Hylian gate which once stood in front of Hyrule Castle strewn across a fragmented path. Michael lowered his head and shook it. "I told her to leave things alone. Why couldn't she have just listened to me?"

A heavy rumble caused Michael to jump. He turned around to see the boulders trembling on the path. "Probably not good," he whispered. He felt the ground scuttle beneath his feet. A large stone boulder fell only a few feet away from Michael. With the sound of the impact, Michael took off running away from the dark castle. More boulders showered from the sky, while the ground shook even more fiercely. Michael did not make it far before the quake overwhelmed his balance. A huge tremor hurled Michael off his feet and head first into a large boulder. The collision left Michael lying on his back. Blood gushed from his forehead as his face fell on his cheek.

(Months later)

"I don't understand," The blonde woman muttered. A narrow black dress fit tightly around the woman's slim figure. Shiny straight blonde hair descended down just past her shoulders. Her brown eyes sparkled in compliment with the surrounding eye make-up. "If the people of this land consider you to be a hero, then I'd be afraid to meet a villain." She glared at a boy with long pointy ears wearing a green tunic over white undergarmets. A long green cap covered most of his blonde hair.

"What do you mean?" the boy inquired.

"Don't play stupid," ordered the woman. Gazing straight through the young man, the woman's eyes seemed to burn a hole through him. "I brought you to this house for a reason. I know what you did to him. I know that you lied to everyone and I am pissed that you lied to me. How could you do that, Link? What could he have possibly done to warrant—"She could not continue. For a brief moment, tears began to well in her eyes, but her sadness was quickly forged into anger.

"This is about Michael?" Link gasped. "Ashley? You can't be—"

"I came to Hyrule to find him. I took a vacation from my work and left my kids with my husband so I could see him for the first time in ten years. I take the time to adjust to this place and learn an entire new culture and I offer my free services to the queen, whom I don't even particularly care for in hope of finding him just to discover that my whole quest has been in vain because some stupid kid who doesn't even understand how fragile a human life is." Ashley took a few steps forward, stopping right in front of Link. Towering over Link (At 5'08" Ashley had a good four inches on Link), the cataclysm lurking behind her brown eyes drove fear into the "hero."

Link could not talk. He tried, but was only able to stutter, "I—I don't—"

Ashley did not wait for his choked up response. She raised her right hand up to her left shoulder and angrily released it, decking the boy across the face. He peered helplessly into the raging inferno in her eyes. When he gave no satisfactory response, Ashley began slapping him repeatedly until he put up his hands in front of his face. Link's wall did not hinder her at all though; she shoved him so hard that he fell down on his back. Having abandoned all rationality, Ashley hissed "If I were as foolish and violent as you, I would take you outside and drown you in the fucking lake."

"I'm sorry!" Link shouted. This cry stopped the relentless assault. Ashley stood up straight, regaining her posture. Link scrambled to his feet. "I'm—I'm sorry, I don't know—"

Ashley's voice returned to its usual tone: soft yet assertive. "How did this happen? According to Malon, he respected you. He trusted you. I can't think of any other person aside from me that he ever trusted." The former assailant broke her stare and turned to the side. She peered at the well-swept wooden ground.

"He trusted Malon. He left all of his possessions with her. Even the book!"

Ashley quickly turned back to Link. "I know. I talked to her. She told me she had everything that was his, including this house, except for the book. The funny thing is I would have never thought such a book would exist. To write down everything and carry it around, and then to not destroy the record is the last thing I would have expected from Michael. Did you ever read from the book?"

Link stared into Ashely's eyes and said, "I never got a chance." The hero blinked. "Wait, if Malon doesn't have it, then where is it?"

"Malon doesn't know. Supposedly, he left her with a hint. He said that the book was in a place that remains alien to any Hylian, and that retrieving it would require exploring a forgotten city." Ashley paused. She studied the green Hylian in front of her. "I need you to stay here for a while and wait. Eventually, tonight, I'll be able to ask you for details of exactly what happened to Michael. I came here because I needed to see his pale face. I needed to hear his sarcastic voice. If I can't find him, then I must know exactly what happened to him, sparing no details. Will you do this for me?"

Link nodded. Although this woman just attacked and insulted him, he knew that he owed her. "Are you going to try and find that book?"

"I know I shouldn't read it. As one of the main characters in it, I doubt that I can stomach that story, but if that is the only way for me to hear that voice again, then it seems I have very little choice."

"That hint he gave Malon—I have no idea what it means." Link gazed right past Ashley to the front door of the house. Against the door rested a sheathed sword and a shield.

Ashley sighed. "Neither do I."

Link's voice sunk. "I'm not sure my apology will mean anything," the hero muttered, "but I'm sorry, _Joanne_."

A tear streamed down the woman's cheek. For moments she could only stare at the Hylian. "Thanks," she finally choked out, "I appreciate your apology. I also appreciate your willingness to stay here with me until I am ready to talk to you, but I feel that you owe me this much. I don't even know yet if I'm big enough to forgive you."


	2. Michael

Purplelizard: Thanks so much for your continuing support! It means soooo much to me!

A pale hand, originating from a green sleeve gently gripped Michael's arm, which gave a slight reflex. The hand proceeded to lift Michael's arm up off the ground and place it on his stomach. Michael's white shirt showed stains of dirt and dust. Michael stirred, then opened his eyes. A blurry figure wearing green hovered over him. Michael blinked his eyes to regain focus, and saw a teenager with blond hair in a green cap. The teenager wore a green tunic over white tights. Michael noticed that on the boy's back rested a sword and shield. Michael gave a slight shriek, causing the boy to step back. Michael lifted his head and his arms. He took his gaze off of the teenager to look around. He saw a large boulder only a few feet from him, and immediately identified it as the one he hit his head on. Michael then gently ran his right hand over his face, feeling the dry blood caked over most of it. When his hand reached the bruise, he sighed in pain, and quickly retracted his hand to his side. Once again, he faced the boy in green standing before him.

"Who are you?" Michael asked, squinting; still a little disoriented.

"My name is Link," the boy smiled. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Michael sighed in pain, his body still quite stiff from his injury. "My name is Michael. I used to serve the royal family…I think it was seven years ago…I came back to see what happened to Hyrule and next thing I know…Ah, big fucking headache." The fallen man took a minute to relax and catch his breath. "Link," Michael muttered. "Oh! Right! You're the little boy, or you _were_ the little boy that Zelda sent out to collect the spiritual stones! I remember now. What the hell happened?"

"Ganondorf followed me into the Sacred Realm after I opened the door of time, and then he stole the triforce."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Sadly, that doesn't surprise me. It must have been so easy for him…"

"After seven years of being trapped in the Sacred Realm, I have awakened," The hero interrupted. "I have broken most of Ganondorf's curses, and I have awoken five of the six sages—"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Michael interrupted, "and until this headache goes away, I don't think I'll be able to even try and understand." Michael shook his head. This was the boy that Princess Zelda rashly burdened with a cruel fate. Michael forced a smile. He then attempted to get up, keeping a hand on his head while he slowly rose to his feet. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." Link stood still, mildly offended by the man's lack of interest in his trials. "Ah, shit," Michael hissed, with his hand still on his forehead. He finally gave his attention back to Link again, and said, "I left Hyrule seven years ago, so I wasn't really prepared to see such a change. I didn't want to believe that Ganondorf would actually succeed." Michael tried to take a stride forward, but nearly stumbled over. Link quickly grabbed Michael's hand, and pulled him forward. When Michael regained balance, he muttered, "Thanks."

"Are you alright?" Link inquired.

"Are you kidding? Can you see my face? Does it look like I'm alright?" Michael murmured. Stunned and offended, Link looked blankly at Michael, waiting for him to break the silence. "Sorry about that," said Michael. "A quake flung me into a large rock, and now my head is killing me. Forgive my being less than polite. I'm sure I'll be fine, but please take me out of here. Is the Kakariko Village safe?"

Link nodded. He secured a firm grasp of Michael's wrist before dragging the injured man away from the ruins of the old Hyrule Castle.

When the pair exited the castle area, they found themselves in a vast expanse known as Hyrule Field. The clouds seemed to vanish from the sky, and a radiant full moon hovered right over a distant large mountain with an eerie red glowing halo. Link lead Michael to his horse, Epona. They stopped.

"You said that you worked for the royal family seven years ago; what did you do for them? Did you know Zelda?" Link asked.

"I'd say so," Michael explained in a weak voice. "I was her tutor."

Linked gasped. "So you knew Zelda?"

Michael gave a subtle nod. "Can we please get to the village?" Link helped Michael up onto Epona. "Yes, I know Zelda, or at least, I _knew_ her. I stayed in the castle and served as her tutor. She talked a lot about her so-called prophetic dreams of evil consuming Hyrule, and about the kid from the forest who would come save everyone." Link mounted the horse.

"She told you about all that?"

"Of course she did. She told anyone who would listen to her."

"Did you believe her?"

"Not really. As her tutor, I not only taught her what was in Impa's curriculum, but I also tried to teach her how to think with an open mind and how to reason by carefully weighing options. I tried to teach her how not to rely on intuition. It is clear now that I failed miserably. When she told me about your quest to collect the three spiritual stones, I told her that sending some innocent young boy to collect the three stones was not only unnecessary, but really ignorant of that boy's well being."

Link turned around to face Michael. "She just wanted to make it so that Ganondorf could never get into the Sacred Realm."

"Yes, I am aware of that. I could present a very strong argument that Ganondorf would have been unable to accomplish anything without your involvement, and that it is Zelda's fault that he conquered Hyrule, but right now I am mentally and physically too weak. PLEASE get me to the village."

Link grabbed the reins. "Princess Zelda would never put my life at risk unless she needed to. This is my destiny."

After about a minute or so of awkward silence, Michael muttered "I'm sorry if I offended you." Link nodded, and then they were off.

(Months later-Back to Joanne/Link)

The first rays of sunlight illuminated the east horizon on Laky Hylia. Shades or orange and purple singed the dark sky. As the first light of day passed through the bedroom window in what was once Michael's house, Joanne sat at the edge of what used to be Michael's bed gazing at the floor. She hadn't slept at all that night. Link stood in the doorway. His clumsy posture emphasized how tired he was.

Hours of silence came to a sudden end when Link finally opened his mouth. "I am so exhausted," he said under his breath. Joanne looked up at him. His eyes were bloodshot. "I never stay up this late unless I have responsibility to. Being in this house, I suddenly remember waking up at this time to find out that Michael still had not gone to sleep. I never understood how he could possibly survive with keeping such weird hours."

Joanne, still fixed at the ground, gave a small nod. "I used to call him a vampire to tease him," she said quietly. Link smiled. Joanne raised her head to notice the hero's gesture and gave the smallest reciprocation. "The biggest tragedies in Michael's life," she began in a solid voice, "all come from really selfish and hedonistic choices he made. It's not that he didn't care, or that he was stupid. He was easily the most intelligent person I have ever known; he could just be so foolish sometimes." Joanne took a break. There was no such thing as the right words for this. She had to find the optimal way to approach the upcoming query. "I know Michael could get himself into trouble. No one knew Michael as well as I did. Not even Michael. What I can't believe, though, is that he would put himself in a situation where the necessary and appropriate action would be to kill him. Michael was not a person who would physically harm others unless it was in self-defense. He never even so much has put up his hands to guard when I hit or shoved him." Joanne's eyes were burning into Link's eyes. "Why did he die, Link?" Link began to open his mouth, but Joanne beat him to it. "Look, you lied to me about knowing him before. The truth only came out tonight, after I threatened to put you on the spot in front of Queen Zelda. Do NOT lie to me now. I need to be able to trust you on this matter, so please, if you have any human decency, you will tell me the truth. I knew Michael so well, and I have to know exactly what happened. I have to know how and why he died at your hands."


	3. Confession

Michael awakened to find himself on top of a bed a small one room cabin. Opposite him was the kitchen, where a large woman was cooking with a stove. Four muscular men wearing the same blue shirts all hovered behind her, waiting impatiently for their dinner. He put his hand to his head in immediate response to his large headache. What he felt was a bandage on the spot that struck the rock. He sat up with his hand still on his head. A lock of his tangled black hair fell between his fingers.

"Oh, you're awake," cheered a deep feminine voice from the kitchen on other side of the room. Michael glanced over to see an enormously fat woman. A small cloud of brown frizz crowned her head, while faint traces of a beard and mustache adorned it. Naturally, Michael did his best to hide his contempt for her virile appearance. After all, she was kind enough to take care of his wound and lend him her bed. It seemed necessary for him to fight his inner snob and not be repulsed by the fact that he was probably laying on top of _her_ bed. "Dinner's just about ready, young man. You should stay and…"

"How long was I out?" Michael interrupted.

"Almost five hours," answered one of the carpenters. 'That is a pretty nasty bruise you got."

"Bruise! Ha! I would call that a concussion!" another of the carpenter's insisted.

Gazing at the ground right in front of the door, Michael muttered, "Thanks for taking me in. Isn't it a little late for dinner?" Michael asked after looking at his wrist watch.

"Of course not! How does your head feel, sweety?" inquired the woman.

"I have a headache, but it's not that bad." The carpenters all stared at Michael. One opened his mouth to speak, but stopped before anything came out. "I've had worse before," Michael continued. "I suppose I was lucky."

"Speaking of having worse injuries, where did you get those scars on your belly and all over your stomach?" asked the curious carpenter.

"Ichiro, that's enough! It's rude to ask that man personal questions like that!" scolded the obese lady. "I'm sorry, sir, please forgive my sons."

Michael stared at Ichiro in scorn. "My scars? I got hurt," he replied smiling, "I mean, that's probably how I got them." Turning to the mother, he asserted, "I'll be alright from here, thanks for taking care of me." He slowly proceeded to put his feet on the ground and rise up off the bed.

The mother's hurt showed on her face. "You're not staying for dinner?"

Michael smiled. "I wish I could, but I don't have enough time. You said I was out for five hours?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then I have to hurry." Michael opened the door and walked through it.

Once out of the cabin, he began heading straight to the town's gate. Hyrule Field was beyond that gate. "Shit! He must have awakened that sixth sage by now. I'm probably too late." Michael's fast walk broke into a steady jog, which took little time to become a full-fledged sprint in complete disregard for his head. By the time Michael finally left the borders of the Kakariko Village, he was panting. After making his way down the stairs onto Hyrule Field, he was completely winded. Michael collapsed to his knees, holding both hands on the side of his head. 'Ahhh!" he yelled. It took well over a minute for Michael to get back up to his feet and continue towards Hyrule Castle in a slow walk. "Link's probably there right now," he muttered.

When Michael approached twenty feet of the castle drawbridge, he heard the galloping of a horse behind him. Quickly turning around, Michael caught sight of a green figure riding a strong brown horse, capped with a white tail and a white mane. The horse came to sudden halt not more than a couple yards from Michael. Seeing no need to dismount, Link yelled "What are you doing here? How is your head?"

Michael gazed up at the hero. "I've seen better days."

"Why are you back here? You shouldn't be here!"

"I made a promise to the princess seven years ago, and now is my chance to uphold it."

"What did you promise her?" Link demanded.

Michael shook his head. "I shouldn't tell you. It's not your business."

"Before, when I found you by the rock, you were trying to get into the castle, weren't you?"

Michael nodded. "Yes, I was trying to get into the castle."

"Why didn't you say so then?"

"I had no reason to tell you," asserted Michael.

"So you lied to me instead?" Link accused.

"Michael rolled his eyes. "I didn't lie to you, Link. I just didn't tell you everything. Why is this such a big issue with you?"

"Why do you want to get into that castle so badly? Would it not be really dangerous for someone defenseless like you?"

"You really have no business asking me all these questions. I appreciate what you did for me earlier but—"

Michael was interrupted by Link dropping the reins and dismounting Epona. He drew his sword and pointed the tip of the blade right at Michael's neck. "You're intentions in that castle are my business! What do you want in there? Do you work for Ganondorf?"

"I'm sorry," Michael bellowed, "but if you want to talk to me, then you are going to have to lose the weapon."

Link pressed the tip of the blade lightly against Michael's neck. "Answer my question," he demanded.

"I don't work for Ganondorf! In fact, I told you exactly who I used to work for. You know, seven years ago. As I said, I didn't lie to you! I have returned to Hyrule to keep a promise I once made to the princess."

"And that is?"

"First you have to lower the sword."

Link considered the request for a few moments before finally obliging. With the sword pointing about forty-five degrees from the ground, he asked "What did you promise her?"

"That's none of your fucking business! Now take a few steps back!" Michael ordered. Link hesitated, still gripping the sword. Michael rolled his eyes. "Do I look like I pose any threat to you? Just do it! You're making me extremely nervous."

Link, seeing the determination in Michael's eyes, took a few steps back. "What was the promise?"

Michael shook his head. "I won't tell you. You are approaching the end of your quest, and you need to concentrate on defeating Ganondorf. Stop worrying about me and what you fear my intentions are. Ganondorf is the threat to Hyrule, not me."

Link nodded. He raised his sword and sheathed it over his shoulder.

"Good luck." Michael smiled.

Link stared blankly at Michael for a few seconds, waiting for him to say something more. Michael only returned the stare. Link finally remounted Epona and took off toward the castle.

"That little shit better succeed," Michael muttered under his breath.

(Back to Joanne and Link's meeting months after the quest)

Link was shaking. The answer to her questions, the truth she was seeking was on the close to the tip of his tongue, but it was far too volatile to remain there. "I can't remember exactly what happened."

"What?" Joanne asked. "Don't do this to me! You can not do this to me!"

"I know I can get it to come back," Link declared, "but you'll have to be patient. I never wanted to speak of this, especially to you."

Joanne glared at the hero. She nodded and asserted, "Don't worry, Link, you have all the time you need."

Link looked down at the wooden floor. His head became locked downward as he studied the grain of the boards. Joanne continued to stare at him, but said nothing. Finally, Link opened his mouth. "I—" he began, "I killed him. I remember seeing him impaled against the wall, leaving a trail of blood as he sunk into a sitting position. I couldn't read any anger or fear from his facial expression. All I could see was pain." Link stopped there. His chin was fiercely chuckling. Chills bombarded his chest. He could feel a hand grab his stomach from inside and turn it. Joanne's gaze was still fixated on him. Her brown eyes were relentless, seemingly devoid of emotion; From a blistering inferno of rage to a suffocating freeze. "Hold on," Link requested. "I need to start from the beginning."


	4. Scratching the surface

**Since I am going on a two week trip with my family, and its very questionable if I will have any internet access, I may not be able to update for two weeks, but in the meantime, please continue to read and review, I promise there is much more to come… (Especially with Nabooru)**

The area surrounding Ganondorf's dark castle appeared vastly different. Not because there were several more boulders strewn across the rocky ledges, but because there was an iridescent bridge connecting the entrance to the floating wonder and the ruins of the old Hylian gate. The long and thin bridge displayed colors of the rainbow much like a spectrum. Michael stood on the ruins right at the bridge's foot, marveling over the rainbow road, and how bizarre such a bright bridge looked in contrast to the dark castle, floating above a barely glowing pit of molten rock and beneath a dense blanket of charcoal clouds. He dropped his arms to his side, and focused his gaze at the large stone mansion. Taking a deep breath, Michael took one step forward, putting his feet on the bridge. He was shocked to feel that the bridge, though transparent as light, felt as solid as the stone cliff right behind him. Rather than test the strange bridge's durability, Michael quickly paced across the bridge, without looking back until his feet were once again on stone. The stone floor of Ganondorf's Castle.

Michael sauntered into the first chamber, to find two identical statues depicting giant eye balls atop some kind of stand. Michael shivered at the sight of them. Between them, an elegant blue carpet lead the way straight ahead to a door. Michael took a few steps along toward the door, but froze when he noticed the eye statues beginning to rotate towards him. Both stopped upon their pupils facing Michael. He could feel the hair on his legs stand up to brush against the inside of his jeans. The eyes blinked. Michael stood motionless, staring at them, without blinking. Both statues emitted a thin blue beam, which traveled at a downward angle in the direction of Michael's feet. Michael took a step back. The beams grew thicker as they advanced towards Michael. Smoke rose from the intersection of the beam and the carpet. In a panic, Michael quickly stepped back all the way to the entrance. The beams vanished. Half a minute later, Michael regained his ability to breathe. He put his hand on his chest to measure just how fast his heart was beating. "Good God," he gasped. The winded man began to whisper to himself. "Ok, the door is over there, and those statues are gonna fucking brand me if I so much as get close. So what now? Come on, Michael, think. This really can't be too hard. That silly kid probably accomplished it less than hour ago with no trouble." Michael studied the statues, then looked at the forbidden door in the distance. "This better work." Michael took off running toward the door. As he neared the statues, they fired their beams, but Michael's speed was too great. By the time the beams hit the ground and were thick enough to damage the carpet, Michael had already passed between the pernicious sculptures, and was almost at the door. The beams pursued, but with no success. Michael quickly grabbed the door's knob, turned it, and proceeded to the other side.

The next room was huge. Michael looked up to see a thick stone structure in the center, going through the lofty ceiling. On the walls of the cylindrical room were several doors, each having a colored circular symbol on top of them, as well as a metallic barb pointing towards the center of the room. The cylinder in the middle of the room had identical barbs pointing out to each of the barbs on the wall. A wooden bridge connected the center cylinder to the ledge near the room's entrance. Michael, after turning himself around trying to study the circular room, stepped onto the bridge. Before he even made it half way across, a violent quake shook him off balance. Michael fell backwards; flat on his rear. "Fuck! My tailbone!" he growled. Small rocks came crashing down from the ceiling. Michael quickly got up and ran back to the room's entrance, under a sturdy stone archway. Placing his hand on the door knob, he turned back to notice the stone rain was worsening. He opened the door and sprinted back past the sculptures, and to the main entrance. The rainbow bridge was gone, and the stone island supporting the castle was now actually connected to the main land. "What the fuck is happening?" Michael shouted before darting all the way to the remains of the old gate.

(Joanne/Link)

"I met Michael toward the end of my quest," the hero began. "I went to the castle on a side quest to help break a curse on a family in the Kakariko Village. I saw a figure wearing a black jacket over a white shirt and blue pants laying down next to a large rock. When I went closer to see who it was, I noticed that it was a man that I had never seen before. He was bleeding from his forehead. I could see that he must have hit his head on that rock. I went over to check on him, and he woke up. I took him to the Kakariko Village where I left him in the care of someone who would be able to look at his head injury."

"So that's the first time you met him?" Joanne inquired, her eyes fixed on Link.

"Yes," Link promptly answered.

"Ok. I have talked with a lot of people who encountered Michael at some point in his stay in Hyrule, especially Malon. In the past week I have investigated this thoroughly. What I don't know is what happened when he went west to the Gerudo Valley and what happened between you and him. From what I understand, you and him were friends! He respected you! No one I have talked to understood why that changed so suddenly. I tried to go to the Gerudo Fortress and ask Nabooru, who Michael supposedly knew pretty well, but I was unable to find her there. I know that after your quest, he obtained ownership of this house and you lived here with him for a short while. Am I mistaken?"

"That's right."

"All right. Now, explain to me what went wrong between you and Michael."

Link took a deep breath. This inquisition wore away at him in his state of exhaustion. How could she be so persistent? Mild tints of yellow were acid in her brown eyes. "Michael was generous to me. He shared his house with me when I had no place to live, but he was so reclusive. He avoided going to the Hyrule Town Market as much as possible by trying to harvest some crops himself. He was pleasant to me, but he always seemed to prefer being by himself. He treated his book like a treasure and made me promise never to touch it. I never understood why he was so reclusive and resistant to talking about his past. Toward the end of my stay here, he became closer with Malon from the ranch and Nabooru, the leader of the Gerudo thieves. There would be days where he would not come back here at all."

Joanne nodded. "So, was that the problem? Where you upset that he didn't seem very open to you?"

"It bothered me. He wasn't like anyone I had ever met. I wanted to be able to understand him better, but he held me at a distance when we talked to Malon and Nabooru. It kind of hurt."

"Link, he was doing you a huge favor by letting you stay with him. I'd say he was respecting you. What did expect from him?"

"I don't know. I guess I thought he would be more open and friendly. That wasn't what turned me against him, though."

"Michael has never been a very open person as long as I have known him, which is thirty years now. Do you think that he had an affair with Nabooru?"

"He spent a lot of time with her, but he hardly said anything to me about her."

"So, to interrupt your story briefly, where is Nabooru now? Where could I find her?"

Link paused. "She's dead," he whispered.

Joanne blinked. "What? I was told by some of the Gerudo women that she was out at the Spirit Temple."

"She's dead," Link repeated.

"How?" asked a very confused Joanne.


	5. End of the quest

"Come on, Link! We're almost there!" yelled Princess Zelda. Her long blonde hair fell slightly ruffled down about one third of her back. Her white gown, decorated with a blue and red Hylian coat of arms, showed much dust. She was walking backwards, holding onto the railing of the bridge in the castle's main room. Link came running onto the bridge, holding both his sword and shield ready for battle. When he caught up to Zelda, she turned around and ran with him towards the entrance. The two of them escaped the castle just before an entire balcony came crashing down right in front of the castle's front door. Stones and dust were ejected from the collision. By the time the first of these stones landed on the ground, Link and Zelda were already approaching the dark haired man at the edge of the stone platform.

"It's you again!" Link exclaimed as he recognized the man.

Michael, about to respond with a sarcastic and/or vulgar comment, reconsidered upon looking at the princess's face. "It's me," he said calmly, offering an elusive smile.

"Who are you?" Zelda inquired.

Link's eyes narrowed. "I thought—"

"I was," Michael hissed. Facing Zelda, he asked, "Well, princess, do I look familiar? I know it's been a while, but I think I at least deserve some recognition. I have gone through a lot to uphold my promise to you."

Zelda's jaw slowly dropped. Confusion consumed her expression. "You can't be Michael," she said. "You can't be my old tutor, the man who was banished from the castle seven years ago for insulting the royal family."

Michael continued to study her face, searching desperately for signs of aptitude, but in fear his search was in vain, he opted to say nothing. The black haired man simply nodded.

"Why did you come back?" Zelda muttered softly.

"Huh?" Link asked.

Michael, ignoring the hero, lowered his head. A strong breeze tossed his hair. "I told you seven years ago that I thought you were wrong in summoning Link to collect the three spiritual stones. I disagreed with your judgment then, and I disagree with it now; however, I did make you a promise to look out for Link from a distance and see to it that he does not get into trouble." Michael did not look up after saying this.

"Wait! What did you do to insult the royal family?" Link protested, anxiously trying to find a way into the conversation.

"He made a very disrespectful comment to Ganondorf using really obscene language when he was a respected member of my father's court."

"I called him a pathetic cunt with the aspirations of a twisted child, if you're really interested in knowing," Michael responded, grinning. Zelda gasped. Michael's grin expanded.

Link noticed a faint smile appeared on his face for an instant. The Hylian hero tried his best to resist his urges to chuckle at this stranger's obscenity. Picturing that man saying such a horrendous remark to Ganondorf, a very intimidating individual, made this resistance difficult. Link barely managed, giving only a small and short lived smirk.

"So what now?" Michael asked, finally lifting his gaze off the ground. "The castle is collapsing, and Ganondorf didn't come out. Did you defeat him?"

Link nodded.

Princess Zelda smiled. "It's finally over, Link. With the master sword, you defeated the evil sorcerer Ganondorf and brought peace back to Hyrule!"

Link smiled.

"I am sorry you had to go through all of this, Link," she continued. "If only I would have known Ganondorf would have followed you into the Sacred Realm on that day seven years ago. I am so sorry you had to suffer so much because of this."

Michael rolled his eyes after making sure the princess was not looking at him.

"Now, Link, you must go return the master sword to the Temple of Time and return to your time. Return to where you belong. Hand me the Ocarina."

Link began to reach for the ocarina, but Michael walked right between them. He put his hand in front of Link to stop him. "Wait! I don't understand this, Zelda. Maybe you can clarify this a little."

"Oh?" Zelda squeaked.

"Seven years ago, against all advice you got, which was not just from me, you sent Link on a dangerous mission to gather the three spiritual stones for the purpose of protecting them. Is that right?"

"Yes," Zelda chimed, trying to look past Michael at Link, who was silent.

"With the stones were strewn across Hyrule, though, wouldn't they be very hard for a sociopath like Ganondorf to obtain?"

"I guess so." Zelda put her hand on the side of her chin.

"He tried to get them. He tried to get both the Zoras and the Gorons to give up their stones by threatening their lifestyles. I went to both their cities and saw for myself! He failed! He didn't even come close. Both the leaders of the Gorons and Zoras laughed in his face. The truth is that he was unlikely to get either one of them, let alone both, and even if he did get one of them, what good is one spiritual stone? Someone from your father's court could have easily helped the Gorons and Zoras after Ganondorf's attempts to sabotage their villages, or townships, or whatever the hell they've got."

"You can't address royalty like that," Link protested.

Without even turning to face him, Michael lifted up his hand in Link's face and snapped, "You're out of your element, Link. Shut the fuck up."

Zelda gaped, but when she saw no change in Michael's stern and confident expression, her mouth sunk to a frown. "What are you saying?"

Michael stared right into her eyes. "I'm saying, Zelda, that having poor Link gather the three stones was actually, from a logical standpoint, increasing the odds of Ganondorf getting into the Sacred Realm. You had Link gather the stones for Ganondorf! Simply following Link into the Temple of Time seven years ago is not what I would call an intricate plan. Any idiot could pull that that off. "

Zelda leaned to her left side and looked at Link before lowering her head. "I know Link should never have had to go through all of this. I feel really bad."

"You're missing my point, Princess, and probably on purpose," Michael snapped. "Your bad judgment is what allowed Ganondorf to waltz right into the temple and literally grab the triforce. Had you thought about the consequences of your little plan before freaking out over your dream and sending Link on his quest, things would have been much different."

That was it. Zelda stamped her foot. "Don't talk to me like that!" I am the princess of Hyrule! Did you really come back here just to scold me like a child?"

Michael shook his head. "No, Princess, I came back here to check up on you and see that Link was safe. I'm just taking advantage of this fine opportunity—"

"Wait. Didn't Ganondorf storm the castle before I went into the Temple of Time with the three spiritual stones?" Link inquired.

"Yes! That's right! My father surrendered before Link returned with the spiritual stones!" Zelda agreed with much enthusiasm.

Michael stepped aside, forming a triangle with them. "That's a moot point. He knew what you were doing, Link. He knew it was a short matter of time before you had all three stones. He knew that he would soon have the triforce, which was obviously necessary to his maintaining power over Hyrule. Zelda, There is no way he would have

betrayed your father if he wasn't confident that the stones were on their way." Michael sighed. He could see in Zelda's face that she was furious with her, but he could only read sadness in her eyes, which were on the verge of shedding tears. Time to calm things down. "Zelda, when I tutored you, I could tell right away that you were a smart girl, but intelligence doesn't protect us from foolishness. Believe me, I know this from personal experience. You made a very costly mistake, and you can't take it back by sending Link back to his childhood. It won't change anything. He will still be alone."

Zelda gazed vacantly into Link's blue eyes. The anger from her voice was gone. Now, only sorrow and confusion remained. "Uh, what do you think, Link?"

Link shrugged. "I think it makes sense for me to get those seven years back."

"Can you tell me why you think you should go back in time seven years?" Michael probed.

"It just seems right."

Zelda gave a faint smile. "Well then, if that's what you want, then…"

"Wait!" Michael yelled. "That's a pretty poor reason."

Zelda glared at the dark haired menace. Michael read her eyes. _Why are you doing this? What right do you have to interfere like this?_

"I think, Link, that you really don't know what you want, because you have never taken the time to think about it yourself." Link looked confused. Michael continued. "Now that you have left the forest, you have no place to go. No place to live."

"I guess not," Link offered.

"Even if you could return to the forest, it would do you no good. You already understand that you don't belong there. You are different, and the Kokiri are incapable of understanding you."

Link nodded. Michael now had his full attention.

"This adventure of yours has left you as a wanderer; a lost soul; a drifter. I don't know if you plan to leave Hyrule, or if it would even be in your best interest, but either way, it would be easier for you to get by as an adult, rather than a lone child."

Again, Link nodded. Zelda gaped. Seeing that reaction, Michael smiled.

"Now you have my opinion. Consider it before you decide to go back seven years, as if this never happened. It did happen, and that fact can never change." Michael turned to face Zelda. Smiling, he bowed. "I apologize for being harsh and rude to you, but for whatever its worth, I only interfered because I care. I did really enjoy working with you on your studies seven years ago, and I vowed to watch out for you and Link. That is what I am doing. Whether you believe it or not, you are still young, naïve, and idealistic, and that is not meant as an insult. I am twice as old as you, and I know how grave the consequences can be for making bad choices at your age. I would give my hands...my legs...my everything to go back and right my wrongs."

Zelda gave no response. She looked down and shook her head. After a full minute of silence between the triangle, Link took initiative. "Zelda, I made my choice."

(Joanne/Link)

Link sighed. "She was murdered. Nabooru was found by some of her guards stabbed to death in the Haunted Wasteland behind the fortress."

"Who killed her?"

"Many of the Gerudo claimed to see Michael lingering around the fortress on the day before Nabooru's body turned up. As a friend of Nabooru, I was summoned to go to the fortress and help them investigate the murder. Many of the Gerudo were quick to blame Michael because they never liked him."

"What did they have against Michael aside from the fact that he was a man? Did they not like his involvement with Nabooru?"

"They didn't trust him when Nabooru first confessed to liking him. Three days before she turned up dead, she confronted him with her feelings and he rejected her. She was heartbroken and—"

"Whoa! Slow down!" Joanne raised her hand and stuck it towards the hero's face. "Nabooru actually made a move on Michael?"

"Yes, they were friends since the end of my quest. He would never open up to me about their friendship, but Nabooru came to me after he rejected her."

"Why did he reject her? Did she tell you?"

Link blinked. "Please, let me explain. This will be easier if you save your questions." Joanne nodded, keeping a stern eye on the Hylian. "Michael and Nabooru became very good friends very quickly after my quest. They began spending lots of time together. At first, it was just afternoons, but it didn't take very long before they were spending entire nights together. Michael warned her that although he really liked her, she should not get too involved with him, because he would only hurt her in the end. She refused to believe him, insisting that a _true _pure love should be able to prevail, and couldn't believe that he rejected her when she asked him about the possibility of marriage. She summoned me to meet her in the Spirit Temple, and she told me about how much the rejection hurt. She was crying the whole time. I had never seen a Gerudo cry before, much less over a man."

"No kidding," Joanne muttered. "I thought they were all lesbians." Link's face displayed no smile. "Sorry."

"All of the Gerudo noticed their leader's pain and blamed Michael, who they already thought of as a bad influence. When Nabooru turned up dead, they blamed Michael immediately and asked me to confirm it."

"But you didn't possibly believe them, did you? I mean, you knew Michael, right? You knew he wasn't a murderer—"

"I didn't know," Link interrupted. I knew Michael was not a violent person. I saw that he was always very kind and generous around me, but I didn't know _him_. He kept to himself so much that—"

"That's bullshit!" Joanne shouted.

"Do you want me explain what happened or not?" Link asked in a frustrated tone. "Now I know that it was a mistake. I thought you wanted to hear it from me. It's not easy for me to tell this story."

Joanne took a short while to collect herself. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, and then she proceeded to give the most delicate of smiles. "I know. But it's not easy to listen to either. Please continue," she requested in a warm voice.


	6. Bloody confession

Michael reached down into the straw basket to grab an orange. The noises of the old Hyrule Market flooded his ears as he felt around for the least molded orange. Whispers, laughs, voices, and footsteps all entered Michael's ear, forcing him to smile. After only two weeks, the town market was already completely rebuilt, and the castle was already partially restored.

"That would be five rupees," asserted the vendor, a short plump man with heavy facial hair.

Michael smiled. "Five rupees seems a bit much. How about two?"

The vendor shook his head. "I do not negotiate."

"Come on, this is a bazaar, of course you negotiate. Everyone negotiates! Who here would actually pay five rupees just for one orange anyway?"

"I sure wouldn't," bellowed a deep and potent female voice. Michael turned around to face the newcomer. A rather dark skinned woman, appearing to Michael was Middle-Eastern, barely shorter than him (Michael stood taller than most Hylians at 5'11") with dyed orange hair tied back in a long ponytail stood before him. Long golden earrings dangled down below her chin. "I think that if you got three rupees for an orange, that would be generous," she calmly commanded, her brown eyes burning through the vendor.

Michael was awestruck. _Usually, I'm not one for orange hair, but this woman is gorgeous._ He grinned. "But this guy doesn't negotiate."

The woman's facial expression was completely mute. "This is a market, everyone here bargains over prices." Michael stepped aside as the tall beauty approached the table. "Because we are such nice customers, I think you should sell us your oranges at two rupees a piece, can you agree to that?"

The vendor chuckled, his nervousness hemorrhaged as he nodded.

_Wow. What an amazing voice. It just completely enslaved this man. I wish I was smart so I would know to resist paying too much heed to her._ "Actually, I think I'll take two then," Michael gave another wide smile as he grabbed his second orange. He dropped four rupees on the table. He then began walking away.

"Hey," boomed the calm voice of the orange-haired woman.

Michael froze in his tracks. He slowly turned around to face the grande woman. Michael's eyes locked on shiny purple garmets shrouding her figure. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were as frozen as his legs.

Her eyes fixated on Michael's white undershirt partially covered by his unbuttoned black shirt. "You dress differently than anyone in this town. I don't believe I have seen you before."

"I haven't been around very long," Michael assured.

"I know I haven't seen you before," the woman continued, "but I do know who you are."

Now Michael was surprised. "Excuse me?" His tone remained devoid of fear.

"You were that man who interfered with Link's fate," she accused.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but do you have a name? I don't believe I know—"

"It's Nabooru, the leader of the Gerudo thieves and the Spirit Sage. Walk with me."

"Where will we go?"

"To my fortress." Michael shrugged, and they were off.

Right outside the town, a carriage with two black horses awaited Nabooru. Two similarly dressed women were in the front. Instead of wearing shiny velvet, they both wore black, and had no where near the amount of jewelry Nabooru wore.

"It's alright, you are welcome to come aboard," Nabooru declared to a hesitant Michael.

Michael entered the carriage, saying nothing. When the carriage began moving, Michael ended his silence. "Why are you taking this interest in me?"

Nabooru's face once again showed no emotion. "You stood up to the queen and rejected her decree." I have never seen such a display in Hyrule before.

"I did it to help, Link," Michael insisted.

"I know, and you did help Link. You were right, but Zelda is really displeased. She is furious that you undermined her in front of Link, and she takes it out on him now!"

"I don't understand. You brought me here to chastise me for showing audacity in Zelda's face? Also, what is she doing to 'take it out on him?'" Michael angrily inquired.

Nabooru smiled. "Of course my intention is not to chastise you. I am rather impressed by your display, actually. I don't have too much respect for Zelda's recent decisions either. Although she publicly praises Link for restoring peace to Hyrule, she rarely speaks to him, and she will not allow him to stay in the castle."

"So where will he live?"

"Probably with a friend."

Michael laughed. "Ha! How many friends does he have around Hyrule that would actually burden themselves for him?"

Nabooru sighed. "Not many. I think he may ask you."

"Why would he ask me? I am not a close friend to him."

"You were the only one who showed any interest in his well-being throughout his entire quest. I think you were better than any other friend he has had."

The end of the grassy meadow on Hyrule Field approached as the rocky terrain of Gerudo Valley drew nearer and nearer. "We'll see. I'm not too sure about Link living under the same off as me, but if and only if he asks me personally, I'll consider it." Michael paused to take in a deep breath. "So how many men have actually been to this fortress of yours?"

"Ganondorf and Link are the only two that have been welcomed in recent history. The four carpenters from the Kakariko Village intruded not too long ago."

"So you girls prefer the company of each other to that of men?"

Nabooru laughed. "You think we are lesbians."

Michael smiled. "The thought had crossed my mind."

"Contrary to what most men believe, women who do not feel dependant on men are not necessarily lesbian. Whenever we feel the desire for male company, we go to the market."

"Ah, where they're extra cheap and easy," teased Michael. "Perhaps I was looking forward to the idea of visiting a fortress full of lesbians. That would be hot."

Nabooru glared at Michael. "I'll be kind and pretend that I didn't hear you say that."

"What will the others think about you bringing me here?" Michael asked, following a quick change of expression.

"That does not matter. I am their leader. They should welcome you regardless of what they think."

"Ah," Michael nodded, hinting at an ocean of doubt stirring beneath his tongue.

When the carriage stopped, Michael could see the enlarged orange solar disk tucking itself behind a series of distant mountains. "Wow, I have never seen this part of Hyrule before," proclaimed Michael.

"I find it very beautiful. Beyond this fortress is the Haunted Wasteland, which is a really dry and windy desert. Past that is the Desert Colossus, where I fought with Link and awakened as the spirit sage."

"And those mountains in the distance?"

"Those are beyond the border of Hyrule."

Michael turned to from the West's spectacle of the setting sun to face the Gerudo fortress. The fortress was a large stone complex set into a hill. "So, this is the famed Gerudo Palace." Michael said, his voice laced with sarcastic awe.

"You seem really surprised to be here."

"It's amazing. I feel so accomplished being here and having a penis at the same time. It's invigorating."

Nabooru made a valiant attempt to hide her grin in response to Michael's raw humor, but her failure led to her smile extending the farthest Michael had seen yet. Nabooru then waived to the two Gerudos in the front of the carriage. One of them came to each side and assisted Nabooru and Michael out of the carriage. They then drove the carriage around to the back of the fortress. "Come," Nabooru insisted.

"My pleasure," Michael smiled as he followed her into the fortress.

(Joanne/Link)

"Michael scorned me for getting involved. He would not tell me details about his relationship with Nabooru, nor would he say what they did the last he saw her. He resented me for asking him, constantly telling me that it wasn't my business and that I should stay out of it. With him being so uncooperative and the Gerudo stressing how devious and treacherous he was, I came to believe that he was hiding something from everyone. I came to believe that he was guilty. Only Malon at the ranch defended him, and I knew how trusting she was. I was confident that he poisoned her mind. A few days after the assistant leader of the Gerudos, Rasha, first told me of Michael's guilt, I moved out of Michael's house. I accepted Rasha's invitation to live at the fortress until I could find my own place in the town market. Michael continued to neglect me. He didn't say a word when I moved out. I couldn't believe how he could betray Nabooru like he did. She was such a wonderful woman. I found myself becoming very angry about the murder." Link stopped. His weary eyes studied Joanne's inquisitive face. The hard part hadn't begun yet.

"You were angry at Michael?"

"Yes."

"You were angry because he was cold to you or because you really believed he used and murdered Nabooru?"

"Both. The two kind of blurred together in my mind."

Joanne's brown eyes probed Link's face, but found all emotion to be corrupted by fear. "That's fair enough. Please continue." Water glistened in Link's eyes. "Tell me what you did to Michael," Joanne instructed. "You're almost there."

Link inhaled a deep breath. This was it. The climax of his story. The turning point. The end of his innocence. "Rasha demanded a price for my staying with the Gerudo. She required that I take vengeance on Michael for what he did to their leader. I could tell Rasha needed this. Now that she was in power, she put it on herself to right the wrong of Nabooru's death. She needed revenge on the man who betrayed Nabooru."

"Right the wrong? Murder is not the remedy for murder! Killing someone does not 'right' a loved one's death." Joanne sighed. "Sorry. It won't happen again. Continue."

"I believed her. I felt so much sympathy for Rasha that I hated Michael right then. I had never felt so much hatred before in my life. I wanted to help Rasha. I wanted carry out her will and avenge Nabooru. I set out to find Michael and kill him." Link was trembling.

_Just as I thought, he was at his house reading. I knocked on the door, and asked him to let me in. I said that I had found a clue to who really killed Nabooru. He seemed pretty interested in what I had to say, so he showed me to the main room. _

"_What do you have for me?" Michael asked. I drew my sword and pointed it toward him._

"_You killed Nabooru." I accused._

"_Link, come on, I thought we went over this already. I didn't kill Nabooru. I don't know if someone killed her to set me up, but I sure as hell would never have murdered her like that! I adored her!"_

"_Stop lying! Confess to your crime, and I'll be merciful," I ordered._

"_That bitch Rasha must have corrupted you. She never liked me from the beginning, because I was dating her respected elder. It really makes sense that she would be so eager to blame this on me, but Link, let me tell you before you do anything stupid, I did not do what you think I did. I am innocent of this charge."_

"_Put your hands up," I commanded. Michael obeyed._

"_You're a smart man, Michael, but you can't control me this time."_

_Michael smiled. "I think the word you were looking for is manipulate, but that's not the point. As someone who stood up for you when no one else did and as someone who really inconvenienced his self for you, I ask that you give me just a little more credit. I never tried to manipulate you, and I am certainly not lying!"_

_I began to doubt my knowledge that Michael seduced and killed Nabooru. Before I entered his house, I knew he did it. But Michael was so good with words. He was trying to talk me down. I knew he would do this. I knew I had to try and ignore whatever he said to avoid confusion so that he wouldn't take control of the situation. I had to change the subject. "You make me sick."_

"_You're not listening to me, are you?"_

"_I can't trust you."_

"_Then that really eliminates our options now doesn't it? What are you going to do now? Capture me?"_

"_Walk toward me very slowly," I instructed. "Keep your hands at your sides and make no sudden movements." _

_Michael stared at me. The innocence in his facial expression discomforted me. He hesitated, waiting for me to take back my order. He waited for me to listen to him. When he saw that I would not budge, he finally took the first step. "I don't believe this bullshit. I can't tell you this enough times, but you're making a big fucking mistake," he asserted, keeping his voice tranquil._

"_Silence," I barked. Keeping my composure was draining me of nearly all my energy._

_As he followed my command and slowly approached me, I readied the sword in my left hand. I'll never forget how my trembling fingers could barely maintain their solid grip of the hilt. When he reached striking distance, I thrust the sword forward with as much strength as I could gather. The tip of the blade penetrated straight into his stomach. I forbade myself from looking at his face. _

_All I could see was a string of crimson drops leap out of the point where my sword entered. I could hear him moaning; his grunts were laced with such heavy pain. I wanted to become deaf. I squeezed the hilt harder and drove the blade deeper through Michael's stomach. I felt the tip encounter the air on the other side of Michael. For a few moments, I stood there holding the sword that completely impaled him. I still not did look at his face. I saw a few drops of blood on my tunic. Even my clothes were tainted now. I raised my left foot and kicked Michael in the stomach while pulling back with the sword. His body soared backward to the wall. I looked down at the bloodied blade of my sword. That sword was a gift Zelda presented to me as a reward for defeating Ganondorf. I could never use it again after what it did. I knew how much I hated Michael for what all evidence suggested that he did, and I had to appease the heartbroken Rasha, but I was not comfortable with taking the measure that I did. I took a long last good look at Michael as his limp body descended down the wall leaving a trail of blood behind. I told myself that this was the bad guy, dropped the sword, and left the house._

"So there it is," Link assured. "That's what happened to Michael. That's how he died." At first, Link tried to avoid Joanne, who he knew was staring intently at him; but alas, the hero realized that he had to face the beautiful blonde woman before him. The woman who held him wrapped around her fingers.

Joanne wasted no time. She frowned. "That account was not one of a hero." Her acidic brown eyes once again burned through Link's widened eyes. "That account was one of a coward. You may have believed Michael to be guilty, but deep down, you had doubts about what you were doing. You knew something wasn't right. Appeasing Rasha and the other Gerudos should not have been a priority when someone's life was at stake! I can't believe how you could just sacrifice your own intuition to cater to others like that!" Joanne scolded, with a more than just a shot of venom in her voice.

Link solemnly shook his head. He knew this scolding was in order, but he was certainly not prepared to face it, especially after spilling that miserable story. "I'm sorry, Joanne."

Joanne sighed. "Link, although I feel that you owed it to me, I want to thank you for spending the entire night awake here and then recapping quite possibly the most painful mistake of your life. You reek of guilt. In my journalism career, I have interviewed countless people, and the only person I have ever talked to with more guilt than you is Michael himself." She then walked over to the front door. "Please get your stuff and go. I can't stand the sight of you right now. I really need you to leave." Link nodded. Just as he was about to grab his sword and shield, Joanne's eyes widened. She gasped. "I know where the book is," she whispered.


	7. Bearing scars, fearing the past

**Shadowlink50: Thank you so much for your support so far, as you can see, there has not been much. The encouragement really helps. **

"I can't understand you, Michael," Nabooru teased. "You are unlike any other man I have met."

"Oh? And how am I so different?" inquired a curious Michael. He sat up on the edge of a queen sized bed made delicately with velvet sheets. The spirit sage lay diagonally across the bed.

"You ask questions. You direct our conversations so that they are only about me. You show concern not for what I have done, but for my emotions as well. Most people I know, especially men, tend to talk about themselves, and only listen to satisfy me. You seem to listen because you really want to capture my experiences for yourself, and you want to feel everything that my senses captured."

"Perhaps I'm just curious."

"I think you do not wish to talk about yourself. I think you are afraid of yourself, and that you are comforted by escaping into other people."

Michael laughed. He turned his head to face away from the gorgeous woman. "That's deep. For someone who doesn't understand me, you seem to have developed a pretty intricate theory."

"Why don't you look at me when you speak?"

Michael turned his head back around to face her with no hesitation. He grinned. "I like playing games. It's been a very long time since I have met anyone who had enough interest in me to try and figure me out. I like the attention you're giving me, but I can assure you that in the end, it is completely hopeless."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"I'm really a simple creature. I am a thief and a liar. That right there pretty much encompasses me; however, I know that telling you that will do nothing to discourage your fascination with me. There is nothing actually worth your effort that you can find."

Nabooru slowly reached over toward Michael. She put her hand on his shoulder. "This may be a challenge worth taking."

"You must not be a good listener. You will lose this game."

Nabooru's hand began massaging his shoulder. "Look around this room. Look at all the candles. Smell all the fragrances. Let your eyes indulge in the dim lighting undermining the beautiful statues on the stands and the murals on the wall. How would you describe your surroundings?"

"In one word: sensual. You designed this room around awakening as many senses as possible, and wetting but not fulfilling your desires. I know you were lying when you said that this was your chamber, as sleeping here regularly would defeat the whole purpose of this room. You rightfully avoided using bright colors. The tables and wooden statues have a very archaic yet exotic presence. You were also smart to limit the putrid colors, like browns and oranges to the ancient displays and leave the walls and the bed sheets to be dark but vibrant colors, like velvety blues and purples. The rug is perfect as a source of deep red. You were very careful with this room, and you held a very specific purpose for it."

"And that is?"

"You know I know what it is, and having me say it would spoil our little game now, wouldn't it? My only question is how often is this room actually used? I would venture a guess that it is not often. How am I doing?"

"Pretty well, but you're missing one thing. I'm practically devouring your shoulder with my hand. You devoted so much of your attention to observing your surroundings that you were deaf to my beckoning." Nabooru's hand left Michael's shoulder to begin exploring his chest. "The candles make it awfully warm in here, don't they? And yet you still have both your undershirt and your thin jacket on."

"What makes you think that I was deaf to your mute beckoning? Perhaps I am resisting." Michael stared at her, smiling. He then took off his black button down shirt, leaving on his white sleeveless shirt underneath. Candle light dimly illuminated a tattoo of a wilted rose on his right bicep. Nabooru's hand returned back to his shoulder to investigate this curious image, but Michael quickly stood up. He shook his head. "Only when I'm ready."

"What does that image mean?"

"It doesn't matter," assured Michael. "It's wilted. It's broken. If I feel it again…"

"Silence," Nabooru commanded. She let her golden fiery hair down and stripped completely. "Do you not want me right now?"

Michael responded by removing his jeans and his undershirt. Nabooru squinted in the dim candlelight to make out the bizarre markings of various shapes, lengths, and angular orientations all over his skinny rib bearing stomach. "Some questions don't need to be asked," Michael preached.

Nabooru held back her gasp at the sigh of his stomach. "You're much thinner than I thought," she said. Michael nodded. "Are those scars?"

"Yep," Michael gave a quick nod. "Scars of battle."

"I would say that you lost."

Michael gave a subdued laugh. "Ha, you should see the other guy before deciding that."

"It would be hard to bear the scars of battle for someone who is not a soldier. You would never get into a fight with someone else. You're not a fighter."

"Oh really?" Michael asked as he joined her on the bed. "Then what am I? And what are these scars?"

Nabooru put her arms around his stomach, using her thumbs to caress his pronounced ribs. She slowly made her way down to the scars, where she gently surveyed them with her fingers. "You are the result of those scars, and you were responsible for those scars."

"That's circular," Michael accused, "and I am responsible for these scars."

"Human nature is circular. People make mistakes, suffer the consequences, and move on. You've paid a large price for yours, and that explains your wisdom."

"Wisdom? There's a funny one." Michael began breathing more heavily as Nabooru's hands ascended his body in pursuit of the wilted rose, but he did not resist.

"What happened?" Nabooru asked as her hand plundered the faded image.

Michael brought his head closer to her chest. "You shouldn't ask. Knowing can only hurt you."

Nabooru brought her lips to Michael's. "I'm not afraid."

The setting sun's salmon rays reached Michael's face after being heavily filtered by partially closed blinds. Groaning, he stirred slowly and reached over to touch his lover. She was no longer in the bed. Noticing this, the black haired man quickly got up and looked around the room. There she was. Standing right over the bed. Right after recognizing her, Michael shifting his gaze away. "Wow," he muttered.

"You seem disappointed," Nabooru declared with a heavy voice.

"I'm not. That was amazing. This was easily one of the best afternoons I have ever had."

"Then why are you so down?"

"Am I?"

"Let us put the games aside for now. What happened…what we just did…was mesmerizing. I can't remember anytime a Hylian made me feel that." Nabooru said. "And please, face me when you talk to me."

Michael turned to her. "It's been almost ten years since I have had anyone, and you were great. I was craving it beforehand, and every minute of it overloaded my senses. I would change nothing about it, but now, I have to deal with the aftermath."

"Aftermath? What are you talking about?"

"God damnit, I am really not good at having this conversation."

"But you'll do your best," Nabooru assured.

Michael flashed an ephemeral nervous smile. "Nabooru, I like you. You challenge me in ways that few people do. I am infatuated by you and your lifestyle. I sense a good connection between us, and I would like for us to continue a solid friendship, but we have to establish limits."

"Limits?"

"Look, we can like each other. We can be crazy about each other. We can crave each other, but do not under any circumstances let yourself fall for me. I mean it."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you fall for me; if you allow yourself to become dependent on me for your own happiness, I will only hurt you. Not because I want to, but because that is all I am capable of."

"So you want to continue sharing intimacies, and you want to continue a serious relationship, but you forbid commitment? Is that why you won't tell me about yourself?"

"No. I'm all for commitment. I'm offering that to you now, I'm just warning you that this will never last in the long term so you better be careful not to let this get blown out of proportion. We can not lie to ourselves about what is between us. The last thing I want to do, Nabooru, is hurt you. I don't want to repeat my past experiences." Nabooru opened her mouth, but her words were consumed by the saliva in the back of her throat. "Just trust me," Michael assured. "And as far as my past is concerned, I will open a bit in time. You just need to allow me that time."

"I wish I understood," Nabooru finally managed to choke out, "but I can't. I don't understand your concerns."

"Maybe you will eventually," Michael replied with a congenial smile as he got up to gather his clothes. Before putting them back on, he pulled Nabooru toward him and began kissing her. It lasted for well over three minutes.

As soon as Link left the house, Joanne quickly got up and scrambled to the bookshelves in the main room, right outside of Michael's old bed room. The entire length of the room was covered by two shelves of books, each full of both hard bound and paperback. Joanne fingered through each volume until she reached a hardbound book covered in an orange paper jacket. "Yes," Joanne whispered. "I've found it, you son of a bitch," she murmured under her breath. "There is no way Link that either Link or Malon…on any Hylian for that matter would be able to find this." Joanne pulled it from the shelf and was began to open the cover when an intangible force grabbed her wrist, forcing her to shut the book. "I can't do this. I can't do this alone." She returned the book to its shelf, quickly stumbled to her feet, and ran out of the house.

Malon jumped at the violent knocking on the door to stables. It was almost noon, and she wondered who would visit her in the morning. She quickly brushed herself off, ran a hand back through her red hair, and paced over to the door. "Who's there?" she asked graciously.

"It's Joanne," declared the tense voice on the other side of the door."

"Are you alright? You sound like you're out of breath--"

"Just open the door," Joanne hastily instructed.

Malon proceeded to open the door and found a very disheveled Joanne on the other side. She was still in the formal black dress she wore the previous evening, but her make up was smeared by sweat pouring down her face. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her perfect blonde hair lacked its luster and was tangled. A few twisted locks stood up. "Joanne!"

"I'm fine," Joanne insisted. "You need to come with me back to Michael's house right now."

"Joanne, I'm feeding the horses. Maybe I'll come by—"

"That's not good enough. You need to come with me now."

"Joanne, you don't look well at all, and you're talking really fast. Please—"

"I didn't sleep last night. I stayed up the whole night getting a confession out of Link, and I'm out of breath because I just ran nonstop from Lake Hylia to here! I'm pretty sure that I just ruined this evening gown too, but this is important."

"That's crazy, Joanne. Get some rest. You can even go upstairs and—"

"Malon. I may be exhausted, but I'm not crazy. Come with me now. I solved Michael's riddle about where he hid the book. You were so good to him, and you have every right to know. I need you to be there by my side. Now that I have found a trace of what I came here looking for, I can not rest until I have it. Please come with me now."

Malon hesitated, then sighed. "Alright, but we're taking a horse."

"Sounds good," Joanne approved.


	8. Behind the veil

**For those of you who supported and reviewed this work, I thank you. This is kind of a transition chapter, so there is not too much action, but it will shed some light on some of the things which may have been a bit confusing. I hope you enjoy it, and please review. **

As Michael exited the Gerudo fortress, he saw five Gerudo guards positioned in a semicircle waiting for him, pointing spears in his direction. Michael took a few seconds to study his ambushers. All had red ponytails tied back behind their partially veiled faces. They all wore revealing purple tops, covering only the chest. "Did I miss something?" asked the middle aged man.

"What are you doing with our leader?" asked the one in the center.

"I am friends with Nabooru," he insisted. "Is that a problem?"

"What do you want with her?" demanded the Gerudo in the center with an explosive voice.

"My friendship with your leader, and I emphasize 'leader,' is my business. It is not yours. I don't think she would appreciate the disrespect you are presenting me with right now." Michael said, keeping very calm.

The central Gerudo stepped forward. She shoved the tip of her spear right before Michael's face. "Now you listen here. I care very much for my people, as I am the assistant leader, Rasha. Nabooru is our patron. If you do anything to harm her, I will kill you. Do you understand that?"

Michael smiled. "I think you explained it pretty well, especially the part about killing me."

"Good." Rasha said in her corundum voice.

Michael gave her a courtesy nod while displaying a wide grin, then walked past them, toward Hyrule Field. As soon as Michael's back faced the Gerudos, his smile vanished.

A knocking on the door to the house caused the lazy middle-aged man to stir on his bed. After a few seconds, he was motionless again. The knocking resumed, this time with a lot more volume. Michael stirred again, placing a hand on the pillow at the end of the bed. His head slowly raised until his chin was resting on the bed's surface. The knocking persisted. Michael opened his mouth and sighed. He yawned. "Yeah, I hear you," he snarled. The knocking stopped momentarily. Michael rolled over and placed his bare feet on the ground. The knocking began again. "I said I'm coming!" he yelled. Michael felt around the floor near the bed with his feet until he found his sandals, which he slipped his feet into without getting up. Stretching his arms up above his head, Michael yawned again. He got up off his bed and staggered toward the bedroom door, tripping on a cardboard box in the process. "Ow," he shouted. He quickly got back up and stumbled through the bedroom door, through the living room, and to the front door.

Upon opening the door, an exhausted Michael squinted in the evening glare. He studied the figure for a few moments, then frowned, "What do you want?"

Link, dressed in the green Kokiri Tunic over tights he wore during his quest, responded "I came to ask you a favor." Epona stood kicking the ground with her front hoofs in the distance behind the teenager.

Michael gave no facial response. "Come on in," he muttered. He backed against the door and motioned for Link to enter. Link looked at him, then walked through the doorway. Michael closed the door behind him and pointed at the little black couch. Link removed the sword and shield, placing them on the ground. He then took a seat. Michael sat down on one of the chairs surrounding the table.

"Did you just move in here?" Link asked.

"Yeah, I'm still kind of in the process," Michael said. "I've gone back to Boston, my hometown, to gather my few possessions. Some of it is still in boxes." He studied Link, who was sitting up straight on the couch, with incredibly proper posture. "So, Link, what can I do for you?"

"I've been staying in the castle with Zelda since the end of the quest—well not staying with her, but—"

"I know what you mean."

"She told me that I had to move out soon, so I need to find another place to live."

Michael laughed. "Wow, I am really surprised by that. Zelda getting rid of you after no longer needing you—then you coming to me, who you really don't even know that well." Link was not smiling. Michael stopped laughing and paused. "Come on, you can't possibly stand up for Zelda after all she put you through. She owes you everything she has, so why the fuck is she kicking you out of the castle? Although it's under construction, it's not like there is a shortage of room there."

"She told me that she must protect the triforce alone because it is her destiny. She also said that she will never forget me, or the time we spent together, but is certain that our destinies forbid us from being together."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Wow, she is so eloquent. I think I'm gonna cry."

"Are you mocking this?"

"Hell yeah," Michael snapped. "Let me rephrase what she said for you. She said, 'I appreciate you risking your life for me, Link, but I don't need you anymore, so fuck off."

Link scowled. "Why can't you respect her?"

"I don't respect people who treat others like they don't matter. I think she used you."

"Do you not believe in destiny?"

"No, Link. I don't believe in destiny. My own experiences paint the concept as highly unrealistic. Also, I think our 'fair' princess uses it as an excuse way too often." Michael sighed. He ran his hand through his unkempt black hair. "This brings us to your favor. Was I right in my reasoning that you had no one else to go to? I mean, that forest must be off limits now that you're over five feet tall."

Link nodded uncomfortably. "I would get my things from the castle tomorrow, after I return the Master Sword to its pedestal in the Temple of Time."

Michael blinked then rubbed his eyes. "This is a pretty small house. There is only one bedroom. Why don't you want to live near town in an inn? Why out here on the lake, away from civilization?"

"I don't really have any money."

"But surely people will make exceptions for you, afterall, you are the hero who saved their country." His eyes remained locked on Link.

"No one offered to take me in. I didn't want to ask because I'd rather be away from the town now that Zelda does not want me in the castle anymore. I need to figure out what I'm going to do now."

Michael nodded in approval. "Fair enough. I guess you can stay here for a little while, but only until you get your own place, which you better start trying to do soon. You get to sleep on that couch, and you better not get in my way."

Link nodded.

"You also will have to do your share of cleaning up, getting stuff from the town market, and will be entirely responsible for the horse. Is that understood?" Michael asked, looking at his own feet.

Again, Link nodded.

"At least say something," Michael scolded. He raised his head to stare at Michael. "I don't count nodding as a linguistic response."

"Thank you," Link said. He got up, gathered his sword and shield, and walked towards the door. He turned around offered a weak smile, and said "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Link walked out the door, mounted Epona, and rode off.

As Michael closed the door and turned around to head back to his bedroom, another knocking on the door startled him. He rolled his eyes. "So much for catching up on sleep today," he grunted. The knocking intensified. The middle-aged man backtracked the length of the living room and opened the door. Nabooru stood smiling in the doorway. "I guess it's true," Michael began. "There really is no rest for the wicked."

"I should have known not to expect a proper greeting," Nabooru jested.

Michael stepped back and to the side. "So what brings you here to Lake Hylia?"

"You." Nabooru smiled. "I trust you found your way out of the fortress alright?"

"Yeah," Michael responded. "Your guards were so friendly too." Sarcasm erupted from Michael's voice.

"You must have met Rasha."

"Yeah. She seems like a really nice girl…if you enjoy being bullied around like a little kid."

"She's always been a little hot-headed, but she is very passionate about maintaing our Gerudo legacies and she is very loyal. She even questioned me about letting you into our fortress." Nabooru saw no reaction from her companion, so she quickly changed the subject. "It looks as if you are just moving in."

"I went back to Boston, where I originally come from a bit this past week to get my few possessions and bring them here. As you can see, I still haven't unpacked everything."

Nabooru laughed. "I passed Link at the entrance to Lake Hylia when I was on my way here. Did he ask you if he could live here for a while?"

"Yes, and I told him that he could for a short while. He is supposed to move in tomorrow."

"Which means this is your last free night. This is the last night that you will have this house to yourself."

Michael grinned. "That's true." He then led the Gerudo leader to his bedroom. They both sat down on his unmade bed.

Nabooru gasped. "You have a Hylian symbol on your flag, but I have never seen that flag before!"

Michael looked puzzled. He studied the flag hanging on the wall right above his bed. Vertically, the flag was divided into halves. The right half white and the left half green. In the middle sat a red crescent with a red star between the tips of the crescent. "That is not a Hylian flag."

"The crescent moon with the star is a very old symbol here in Hyrule. It was all over the sacred realm even."

"Then that's a coincidence. My flag is of the country where I lived for a couple of years after Joanne, my ex-girlfriend left me. The crescent moon and stars is a symbol of Islam, the most popular religion in that country."

"Is that your religion?"

"No, religion has always seemed ridiculous to me."

"So you moved to a different country after your girlfriend left you?"

The inquisition sucked all the remaining traces of smile away from Michael's face. "I dated Joanne for ten years, but because of some foolish choices I made, we could never get married. She loved me, but eventually she felt that staying with me was holding her entire life in limbo, so she decided that she had to try for a future with someone else. She got married a few months after she called our relationship off, and she is now a mother."

"So Michael finally begins to open up," Nabooru taunted.

"Joanne was pregnant, though," Michael continued. "She was pregnant with my child when she married her fiancé. She told me that I could have no contact with her or her family once she was married."

"But it's your child."

"I couldn't do anything about it. I was no longer a citizen of America at the time, so I had no legal right to even question Joanne's decree."

"Did you want to be a father?"

"Yes."

"Did Joanne know that?"

"Yes," Michael chuckled.

"Then what Joanne did was treacherous. So that is why you moved?"

"I moved several thousands of miles away after that. I wanted to live in some desolate place: a harsh climate where I would have to stand on my own and focus on the bare elements of survival and not my constant torment. I moved to the most expansive desert in my world: The Sahara."

"That is the flag above your bed?"

"No, it's the country Algeria, which only covers a small portion of the Sahara. I lived in a Saharan outpost called El Golea. It was amazing. I had never seen so much beauty before, and it was a desert! After a couple of years, I decided to return to Boston and resume my old job in Boston--" Michael cut himself off when he noticed Nabooru leaning on him, barely conscious. "Yesterday you were pleading for me to open up to you, now when I finally begin revealing elements of my past, you are bored out of your skull."

"I only needed to hear the first part to understand why I craved you so much. Now, it is your turn to get me to open up."

Michael smiled. "Do not forget my warnings yesterday."

"Forget yesterday. Focus on tonight." Nabooru instructed. Michael happily obliged.

Back to present (Joanne and Malon)

"Okay, so what exactly did Michael tell you in regard to where the book was?" Joanne asked standing up beside the bookshelves, with her gaze intently focused on Malon, who was sitting down on the couch.

Malon answered very slowly. "He said that retrieving the book would require plundering a forgotten city."

"And those were his exact words?"

Malon looked up for a few seconds. "Actually, I think it was a city buried beneath nearly two thousand years, but that didn't make so much sense."

"It makes a difference," Joanne pointed out.

"So what does that mean?" asked Malon.

"No one from Hyrule would be able to get it unless Michael told them specifically what his clue meant. There is a country called Italy which is very rich in history. There are ruins all over the country that date back to well over two thousand years ago. About two thousand years ago, there was a very powerful empire centered in Italy. The Roman Empire was the most powerful in the world for many centuries. One particularly wealthy city was actually a port town called Pompeii. Over 1900 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption buried the town in pyroclastic sediment, which is volcanic rock. For nearly two millennia, that town was practically forgotten, but in the last few decades, part of the town has been excavated, and the pyroclastic sediment preserved it really well.

Confusion twisted Malon's face. "Obviously, only people from your world could possibly understand this, right?"

"Yeah. I doubt that Hylians study the Roman Empire in school."

"But why would he give Link and me a clue that we couldn't understand?"

"That's simple. He didn't want it to be found by you guys."

"But why would he even give us a hint, let alone a legitimate one, if he didn't want us to find the book in the first place?"

"Well, I think it was more of a joke. I doubt he planned on dying. I think he just wanted to see you guys try to figure out something that couldn't possibly have understood."

"I guess," Malon solemnly accepted. "So how did you figure out that he was talking about Pompeii in that hint?"

"That's simple. When Link was here this morning telling me about Michael's death at his hands, I found myself studied Michael's book collection. Most the books there were brought from Boston. I noticed that one of them was called _Pompeii_." Joanne kneeled down and pulled a black hardbound book. On the spine read the title, and the name Robert Harris. Joanne continued. "This is a contemporary fiction novel. I read reviews for it when it first came out. It was a murder mystery set back in the area of Pompeii at the time of the catastrophic eruption. When I saw the title, I immediately thought back to the hint Link relayed to me, and after he left, I pulled the book to see if this held an answer." Joanne handed Malon the book. "Open it, and read what's hand written on the inside cover aloud to me."

Malon accepted the book dubiously. Under Joanne's sturdy supervision, she slowly opened the cover. She squinted and held the book close, as deciphering the sloppy cursive writing was a feasible, but not too simple task. "Dear reader," the farm girl began, "If you expecting to read this novel of suspense by Robert Harris, then you may as well close this book now, as I tore out the original novel. Trust me: the novel was mediocre at best. What lies ahead on the following pages is a work of nonfiction. It is my story. Be warned that the following pages are filled with pain, sin, and failure. It is my story." Malon looked up at Joanne in disbelief. The red hed gaped at the elder blonde.

"I haven't read it yet," muttered Joanne. "Under any other circumstance, I would not read it. I lived this story with Michael, at least most of it, and I understand what happened pretty well. I have no wish to go back and relive it via Michael's words, and I highly doubt that he would want me, a woman he almost certainly considers to be villainous, to see his personal account." Joanne paused. Welling water in her eyes conquered the dead look of exhaustion from a night without sleep. It was clear that she was fighting tears. "However, because Michael is no longer alive, and my quest to find him ended up in vain, I am willing to read the book. I don't really care what his words say, as I don't need to hear his perspective, but I need his words so that I might hear his voice one last time." Joanne gently seized the open book from Malon's trembling hands. The middle aged blonde positioned her fingers to turn the page…

"Stop!" squeaked Malon. Joanne stopped and looked up at the shaking mature red haired teenager. A few tears released themselves from her eyes. "You should reconsider reading that book any farther." Malon's voice was mellow and shaken.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Because Michael is not dead," Malon choked out.


End file.
